Does grazing management provide opportunities to mitigate methane emissions by ruminants in pastoral ecosystems?

Summary

This review examines whether grazing management interventions offer practical pathways to reduce methane emissions from ruminant livestock in pastoral farming systems. Drawing on evidence from multiple pastoral ecosystems, the authors assess the scope and limitations of management-based mitigation strategies—including rotational grazing, stocking rate adjustment, and herbage quality improvement—as complements to dietary or genetic approaches. The paper appears to conclude that grazing management holds promise, though its effectiveness depends on local context, forage availability, and integration with production objectives.

UK applicability

The findings are relevant to UK grassland-based beef and sheep production, where rotational grazing and stocking management are widely practised. However, the review likely includes evidence from diverse climates and forage types (tropical, Mediterranean, temperate); applicability to UK cool-season pastures and high-productivity systems requires careful interpretation of context-specific results.

Key measures

Methane emissions per animal or per unit production; grazing management variables (stocking density, rotational frequency, forage quality); pasture productivity and ecosystem impacts

Outcomes reported

The study examined whether grazing management practices—such as stocking rate, paddock rotation, and herbage allowance—can mitigate enteric methane emissions from grazing ruminants. It appears to synthesise evidence on the effectiveness and feasibility of management-based mitigation across pastoral ecosystems.

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